Codename: Sorrow
by KayCay
Summary: Sequel to CODENAME: ANGEL. Almost two decades since the Blast of Manhattan; when Anwen saved the city. Lilith Kyle, born as a Conduit, has left GENTEK to find the truth while Alex holds a dark secret. Summary to be changed, first X-over story. T, R&R.
1. Prologue

_**The journey of the Prototypes' are not over, as we have a surprise guest to share her adventure with us. Yes, this is the official sequel to CODENAME: ANGEL but the reason of the Children's appearance will be announced later in the story. And, yeah, it's an X-over. Deal with it. Enjoy Reading!**_

* * *

**Prologue: Death's Daughter **

Something happened on that fateful day, something apocalyptic the world was close to burning out. A woman named Anwen Harper sacrificed herself to save all humanity, save her friends and kill the reason behind everything. It was the build-up of something great inside her and when she couldn't contain it, she simply let it out. The rush of adrenaline mixed with searing pain and cool numbness was exhilarating, exhilarated _her,_ of course.

It pushed her towards the border, raked at her soul and ate it whole, having every pain that chilled it suddenly be filled in a glass jar. Torment, sorrow, grief, remorse... _Depression. Guilt. Loneliness._ They all squeezed themselves in that glass jar and she locked it up and threw away the key. She promised her sister, Bek, that she'd survive just for her. Having broken that promise, she instead decided to do something she could not. Protect the world, _her world._

She made sure that if anything went wrong, she would be there to make things right. She always looked over Alex Mercer and Jessica Miles, who were the reason that she never faltered hope. They were the reason she pushed her boundaries, forced herself to make choices and just predict the inevitable. And when the inevitable came, she always found a way to beat it. When that unlimited power of energy washed over her, she made sure that those two survive. Heller survived somehow as he managed to walk away with severe bruises and finally reunite with his daughter, _again._

Something happened that fateful day, something miraculous that it's merely impossible. A beautiful baby girl was born but she was no ordinary baby. She had the Conduit Gene written on her DNA but her birth isn't as pleasant as you think it is.

Leanna Bryan actually became an embryo in a test tube as her parents found it hard to conceive like a normal couple. But her parents were killed for unknown reasons and a scientist offered to be her surrogate mother. As she grew up, she began to recognise the aspects of her powers and renamed herself Lilith Kyle and dropped her given name. With time, her eyes changed colour; from hazel, to amber, to red symbolising her growing power of her dark and sinister abilities. Even though she's taken the looks of her "mother", there's was something about her that made her look inhuman.

She was special, GENTEK knew that, but there was something about her that resembled the host of the Mercer Virus. At the age of 16, she was given a raven in which she killed with a touch but somehow revived it, granting possession over it. She called it Compass, as she realised it knew what she knew and where she wanted to go.

Turning 18 and fully understanding the limits of her, as scientists say _"extraordinary gift"_, Kyle was handed two scythes as a farewell present, crafted and detailed to her perfection. That's when the para-military organisation saw her instability and tried to kill her. They did and changed her completely. She was loving, she was caring but now? She's cold, very dominant, and uses her mind to it's full extent to plot her tactics and so on.

Something fateful happened that day, something that cannot be described by science or religion. Something that the brain notices, takes note of and analyses it until it know's it right.

When Anwen Harper sacrificed herself to save Manhattan, Lilith Kyle was born to _destroy it._ But little did people know that Lilith Kyle became Death's daughter.


	2. Continuation of Prologue

**Continuation of Prologue**

_'Target is in sight.'_

_'Hold your aim... If she makes any threatening move, you have my permission to fire.'_

_'Affirmative.'_

She _hated_ her life. She _hated_ GENTEK. She _hated_ the people who created her. She was practically a failed experiment but a successful Conduit with unimaginable power, originally created to track down the two surviving viruses in Manhattan. But she didn't allow that and musters enough power to destroy a universe. It wasn't the universe she had a bone to pick with, it was the people she was stuck with on a planet called Earth. She knew there would be no good without its evil, no life without its death, no revolution without its submission. And that's why she's here.

Lilith Kyle knew no boundaries, obstacles merely pushed over by the press of her hand. She stood atop a building with a black bird perched on her shoulder, gazing over the people of Manhattan with her two, short scythes. Wickedly curved blades with dark motifs and shaped like a snake's fang, brilliant for the disfigurement of bodies from anyone lucky enough to get her mad. The rods itself were thin but short and made of silver metal freezing to the touch. Rimmed with black, it shone in the sunlight with a dark purple hue that sheeted it. She bonded with her weapons ever since she got them, and now it was time to put it to good use.

Her black, boundless hair whipped fiercely in the harsh winds and so did her black leather jacket. Red, soulless eyes searched around, reading people's souls, auras. Every being, human or not, has an aura encasing who and what they are. Kaleidoscopic colours, shimmering lights fuelled with lively essence... And she can control every inch of them. She could bend, wrench and distort those lights, and with enough torture can shatter the aura completely, leaving the person lifeless.

She didn't decide to do that, as she had other plans apart from _destroying the world._ Finding the bastards who tried to kill her and as soon as the bird took flight, she literally stepped on air. Crashing onto the concrete and glaring at everyone screaming and running away, she looked behind her shoulder and took off, stamina not even at the brink of tire. She hopped over vehicles in her way, scythes crossed behind her and ready to slice black frames with blue goggles.

_'Target is moving. I repeat: Sorrow is moving.'_

_'Boys, lets heat up the Red Zone.'_

Lilith grunted as the gunship's bullets embedded themselves in her back, but her speed didn't hesitate as the wounds regenerated. She spun, snapping the rods together and threw it without difficulty and watched the chopper split into two. Catching her scythes, the invisible tattoo that was etched on her left arm and spread down her body lit up a deep violet and one of her abilities came to life. A pair of big, shadowy hands grasped the other gunship, the cockpit screaming and trying to flee and by mental command, it flattened the flying transport like a bug, crushing the pilots inside. When it faded, the deformed metal smacked on the street like a massive dime and she took off again, grin stretching her face as she inhaled their deaths. Leaping a final time, she pressed the button that detached the rods and dashed it, watching the group of BLACKWATCH troopers hit the pavement in pieces.

The black bird squawked above her and her eyes widened, unable to stop the incoming. A rocket rammed into her, the explosion forcing her backwards but she flipped out early, caught the rods in mid-flip and drove her blades into the ground. When she stopped her direction of useless movement she growled, slotting the scythes in the strap on her back and squatting with her arms stretched above her head. Feeling a reasonable amount of energy course through her legs, she rocketed skywards and unleashed a sea of shadows that ripped the gunship to large, bloody fragments. Just as she landed on a rooftop, a hand smacked her across the face and she cried out in agony, the billboard striking her head and her limbs flailing under her.

The world was spinning at miles per second, thoughts gone and muscles weak to help the central nervous system, who were sending orders that weren't being answered. That slap was strong enough to snap her neck but because of her durability, she survived and anyway, she's felt pain much worse than this. Trying to reach behind her, gloved hands picked her up by the hair and she wheezed, not being able to produce shadows as her nemesis stood by two troopers and a super soldier.

High but soft cheekbones, golden eyes framed by lashes that enhanced his inhuman beauty. Short, blonde hair which was spiked at the top, thin lips and pearly-white smile. _"Sorrow..."_ He tutted, eyes trailing up and down her frame. "Getting into trouble, are we?"

She said nothing and received another slap, only this time her body didn't ragdoll. "Lilith... _Speak._ You should be lucky you ended up having a voice." Her lips stayed sealed and the man laughed, stroked his stubble before punching her in the gut, hearing her let out a sharp groan before breathing out. "You shouldn't be here, Lilith... You should be dead. Like every other failed experiment. You should be six feet under... But something happened in you and you survived. _But you..._ You failed. You were made to kill the '_Mercer'_ and '_Miles'_ virus but you failed. But then the Conduit Gene had to save you..." The grip on her hair tightened and with cold crimson eyes, did she stare at the super soldier before her head was tilted to the side and she cried, lashing out in protest and the man tutted again.

"Chase," she finally spoke, powerful American accent clouded by her gritted teeth. "Why are you like this? What have they done to you? We used to be so close... But now... Now every successful Conduit is on my ass!"

"Not _every_ Conduit... Others have been on the d-l. Haven't heard from Ray-Leigh in quite some time."

"What have you done to my mother?" she questioned and this man formally known as Chase laughed again.

"You mean Dr. Kimberly Kyle? We buried her alive... And you're gonna join her too." He reached into his pocket, bringing out a syringe filled with clear liquid and her eyes widened.

She knew what that was: Sodium Thiopental. Her mother always taught her something new everyday when she was over at at GENTEK, and Sodium T is not a pretty thing to handle. "What do you want from me?"

"We want you dead. We searched Manhattan for you, now we've got you. Time for you to join your mother like the wonderful family you are."

Her throat started burning when she heard a word she never wanted to hear. _Family._ She never had a proper family. Her actual parents died during the Second Outbreak and Dr. Kyle offered to be her surrogate mother. And that's what made her leave GENTEK: they hid the truth from her but she will always love her _'mother'_, no matter what. "Chase," she said whilst being injected with the syringe, the drug already kicking in and her eyes were half-lidded, her head swaying to an imaginary rhythm. "You may be hot and everything... _But... But you..._ You will always be... _A bitch..."_ Orion let go and Lilith hit the rooftop with a meaty thud followed by a soft moan and Chase smiled, brushing back his blonde hair. He took a Comm. Device from one of the troopers behind him and started speaking.

"Red Crown, I had order on a containment unit. Sorrow is down and out, over."

_"Pyramid Three, this is Red Crown. Containment unit is to arrive at your area in ten Mikes, over."_

"What are you gonna do to her?" Orion asked him as he placed the device back on the trooper he took it from.

"She's technically dead... We're gonna bury her." Not far from their coordinates, Lilith clenched her fists as that Lilith over there was her shape-shifting bird. After killing the guy that was on her rooftop with the squeeze of his ribcage, she obtained his sniper rifle and in split seconds, her mind took information about how to handle it, how to prepare it and how to put it all together. Closing one eye, she looked down its optic mount and had the blonde man in her aim.

She fired, bullet hitting Chase in the leg and he yelled before she fired again, this time hitting the first trooper in the back and the other near his neck. She sighed and seeped darkness into the weapon and it recoiled as another round exploded out of the barrel, Orion instantly dropping as the ammo pierced his heart . Throwing the sniper, Lilith ran across the rooftop and dived when there was no more ground, and sand disorientated her trajectory. She cursed as she plummeted and dented the cars on the street and rolled of a bonnet painfully, feeling sand entwine in her hair and hauling her to a familiar physique. "And where do you think you're going, Kyle?" Chase asked, sand coiling around her body and restricting her limbs.

"Let go or I'll kill every single living thing within my radius."

"You wouldn't do that. You can't."

"Are you actually challenging me? You think, _as you say,_ the Daughter of_ Death_ can't do it? Surely there must be a reason why I can't." He thought about it, stared in her eyes and put her down beside him. "Now, if you excuse me," she dusted her clothes and stalked towards her double's limp frame, throwing her over her shoulder. "I've got business that needs to be settled."

_"Wait."_

"What _now,_ Chase? First, you try and bury me which failed, then you try and kill me which also failed. See what GENTEK are doing to you. You were a much more stronger Conduit than this... Can't believe you chose to side with them rather than me."

"Well, I had no choice! It was either side with them or kill you."

"You should've let them kill me."

"Why would I do that?"

"Because I can't die... Chase Stewart, you know when I said _'I love you'_ a couple weeks ago, I really did mean it." And with that she fell backwards, golden eyes losing sight of her and he held his head in anger and regret. He just lost his best friend to a pointless decision he had to make.

OoOoO

The bird cooed before it settled on her shoulder and she stroked its feathers, contemplating her surroundings. The Yellow Zone, where the virus was strictly controlled by Manhattan's organisations. As she intermixed with the calm citizens of the district, her ears picked up a faint, humming noise. There was something... _Someone_ out there monitoring her and she could feel it. Her companion squawked but Lilith hushed it, trying to find the sightless thread attaching her to another being. And when she found it, she grinned before heading in the desired direction.

She's gonna find who that person is. And why they're tracking her.


	3. Uprising

**Chapter One: Uprising**

_Present_

Pain, guilt, depression, darkness, suicide, hurt, loneliness, _sorrow_. The tiny glass ball on the small wooden table hummed a bluish colour. It was feeding thoughts, memories, and feelings into the girl sitting at the table, eyes closed. This was part of her clairvoyant power, absorbing the information about the people around her in the Yellow Zone. New York Zero hadn't been restored to it's former glory because of the havoc The Children controlled and brought about Manhattan, even after 2 decades. She, herself, hadn't aged since then, still appearing to be a twenty-five year old. The feelings seemed to be centered around a single being who she couldn't identify. It walked through the Yellow Zone, it's darkness spreading like a virus. And it was coming towards her.

She opened her eyes and the ball stopped glowing. Her focus turned to the manilla folder on the floor beside her, labeled **'CLASSIFIED'**. There were three files inside. Anwen Harper, Lilith Kyle, and Rozalina Haloway. Anwen died twenty years ago, Lilith was some Conduit experiment, and Rozalina was what GENTEK believed to be her name. Of course, they were wrong. Rozalina Haloway was just a alias. Her real name was a secret no-one but herself was trusted with. She took out Anwen's file and skimmed over it.

_Given Name: Valkyrie Deanna Connors_  
_Taken Name: Anwen Elise Harper_  
_Codenames: Hawkeye, Anomaly_  
_Age: 21_  
_Born: September 21st, 1991_  
_Where: Cardiff, Wales, UK_  
_Hair: Crimson_  
_Eyes: Purple_  
_Height: 5'11_  
_Weight: 98 lb_  
_Status: Deceased - **Killed in the Blast of Manhattan**_  
_Siblings: Rebecca Connors - **Unknown**_  
_Parents: Emma Trinity Connors & Andrew Dylan Connors - **Deceased**_

She couldn't help but laugh. GENTEK knew that Anwen's parents were dead, but her sister? Like she disappeared off the face of the Earth. But she knew after all what happened. She knew _everything. _She slid Anwen's file back into the folder, skipping over Lilith's and took out Rozalina's.

_Name: Rozalina Alana Haloway_  
_Codename: Indigo_  
_Age: 27_  
_Born: Unknown_  
_Where: Unknown_  
_Hair: Brown_  
_Eyes: Blue_  
_Status: Alive_  
_Siblings: Unknown_  
_Parents: Unknown_  
_Occupation: Psychic/Assassin_  
_Last Target: Amelia Jessica Williams - **Successful**_

She smiled, remembering how she killed Amelia. Simple, quick, and easy. And of course with her hidden blades. She put the file away and stood up, hissing in pain when the muscles in her thighs cramped together from sitting on the couch for so long. As it gradually wore off, she combed her dirty blonde hair with her fingers, hints of pink and purple in the mix. She grabbed her black hooded leather jacket and slid it on, flipping the hood up. She made sure her hidden blades were equipped and working, flexing her wrists every know and then and watching the blades play hide and seek. She laced up her Converse, then walked out of the dim apartment she called home.

OoOoO

She weaved through the crowd of people in the Yellow Zone. There were little Infected monsters about, as BLACKWATCH and GENTEK controlled the virus in NYZ. Many Evolved work for BLACKWATCH and only three Infected were on the loose, but not deadly: Alex Mercer, Jessica Miles, and James Heller. Little had been heard or seen of them since the Blast of Manhattan, where their friend, Anwen Harper, died. She would be surprised if they were even still in Manhattan at all. It seems that the Yellow Zone looked a little nicer than twenty years ago. She remembered in such vivid detail, she often wondered why she dwelled on such little things like that. She heard a voice yell, "Watch out!" and she collided with something hard. She stumbled back and fell on the hard pavement, hearing her back make a unnatural cracking sound. She closed her eyes for a few seconds and when she opened them, there was a scythe held to her throat.

"Name." A voice spoke to her. Her eyes trailed up to the dark-haired, red-eyed girl holding the scythe who wore this black leather jacket, with a black and purple halter-bra underneath. She matched it with black army trousers, although her left leg had been torn and replaced with netting and matched the trousers with ankle combat boots. There was an identical scythe on her back and a black bird was perched on her right shoulder, staring down on her like it's master.

She stayed strong under her threating glare, and said, "Rozalina Haloway." The girl smirked for a split-second, a tiny flitting thing and also revealing her moderately sharp canines.

"Liar. We both know that's just an alias. Real name or I'll kill you." Her hopes silently dropped a little, but she still stayed firm, not willing to let the mysterious girl take over. She sighed quietly then spoke her real name.

"Clara Sheathes."


	4. Intentions

**_So sorry for the late update, we've been so busy lately it's affecting the stories. I'm trying my best to update on time. Enjoy Reading! ;)_**

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_Chapter Two: Intentions_

_Clara Sheathes._ Lilith gritted her teeth. She would've killed her, taken her life away in an eyeblink but something about her name made her abort the execution. She meant something and killing her will only make everything in her life really hit rock bottom.

The screams of innocent passers-by were still ringing in the air and the gaze were still locked, growing more intense. Slowly, the scythe was lifted away from Clara's neck but the bird squawked and the red-eyed girl hushed it softly. She stood up cautiously and dusted her clothes off, still watching the girl as she put her weapons away, incase she made any sudden moves to kill her with one clean slice. Clara protectively rubbed the back of her neck, partially to hide the strange tattoo there. "Let me guess," she said in a weak Welsh accent. "You're being tracked down by both BLACKWATCH and GENTEK, you've just been betrayed by your best friend, and you need a place to stay." She smirked slightly as the red-eyed girl appeared startled, shocked that this girl could somehow read her past. And then she found it. "Spoilers. I've got a spare bedroom, if you dont mind." Clara watched her think about the request.

_"I've got nothing but my sanity left, so why not?"_ She smiled at the words she had heard without the girl's lips moving. She had figured out she could read her thoughts.

"Well then, follow me." She started walking towards her apartment, the red-eyed girl following silently behind her.

OoOoO

"This place is undetectable..." Lilith whispered as she traced the walls of the apartment, hearing the same humming noise and feeling heat tickle her fingertips. "Layers upon layers of special software and some sort of spell woven into the infrastructure... Like it doesn't exist." Lilith, for once, was impressed. This Clara girl was smart, smarter than any other stranger she'd somehow bump in to. If she could made a building undetectable with spells and software, she could do this to a living organism, make it invisible to the world. "You must be a lasting Conduit. Maybe even one of the first in Manhattan. I bet you've heard about me... The Primary Conduit."

"Well, you can stay as long as you keep GENTEK away. I've lived in secret for eight years, and I'm not planning on breaking that record anytime soon."

"Deal. Your house will be GENTEK-free." She placed something that looked like files in a desk drawer, and disappeared into another room. Once Clara was gone, Lilith looked around the apartment and contemplated her surroundings. It was dark, the only source of light being a candle flickering in the corner. Her bird cooed, this time in communication.

_"Lilith,"_ he thought, rubbing his beak on her jaw. _"How can you trust her? She seems too... Normal to be one of the good guys."_

"See how she read my mind back there? She's a clairvoyant and the tattoo on her neck... Was similar to mine." She looked at her hand and watched the tattoo light up purple again before dying out. "If she's a good Conduit... There must be something we can do for her."

_"Like kill yourself?"_

"Don't appreciate that kind of negativity, Compass... There must be symbols shielding this building. If one was to break, a few other Conduits would be able to see it."

_"This Clara girl is too suspicious... She'd put something in the drawer. Willing to have a look at it?"_ She turned her gaze towards the desk drawer and it was at least 2 metres away, and this building's monitoring her every move. She felt hard eyes staring down on her, waiting to zap her if she moved incorrectly or swallow her whole if she touched any object without permission.

"Not unless I dislike the person. Clara seems useful, plus she could help me find John. Fucking bastard..."

_"Suit yourself..."_

The clairvoyant walked back in, holding more files in her hands and setting it on the table, she glared at Lilith and sighed. "You don't have to stand there like a pillar. Have a name?"

"Lilith Justice Kyle. Lilith would be fine."

"Nice name."

"I'm not really used to compliments."

_"Ah..._ So, now what?"

"Do you know anyone by the name of Dr. John Evergreen?"

"Yeah, he's the head of Project: Blackout. Why?"

"I need to find him."

_"Why?"_ she repeated, hands on hips with her weight shifted onto one leg.

"He made me how I am. I'm gonna kill him for it. He said that I'll save the world... Save all humanity and look at me. He did this to me and he's gonna die."

"How are you gonna get in? GENTEK's packing high tech machines in that place. Before they were creating and altering viruses. Now, they're also creating robots to do their bidding."

"I am going to get in, Clara, and nobody is gonna stop me. Once I get in, I'll destroy the robots before they destroy Manhattan. Compass, you're staying." Compass flew to the table near the sofa, cocking it's head sideways and Clara went through John's file.

"Well, at this time, he should be in GENTEK... making more Conduits."

"I'll be back."

"Where you going?"

"I'm going to get rid off my _worst nightmare."_

OoOoO

Dr. John Evergreen smiled in victory as Rosemary Charles had her eyes closed, electricity flickering on her arms and her aura was also electrified and visible to the scientists on the other side of the window. She let it sizzle on her arms, controlling how high the voltage was as she passed it through her fingertips. The group around John took down notes while he clasped his hands together, receiving a tap on his shoulder and he turned, smiling at the redhead. "Any news, Gwen?"

"Project: Machine has been successful. The four robots have been showing positive signs of voice recognition and contrasting Conduits and viruses from mortals."

"Well, that_ is_ news. Thank you Gwen, I'll be there to check on them in five."

"Yes, Doctor." She walked off and John watched her, shaking his head with that smile still stuck on his face and looked back at Rosemary, who was practising how to neaten her aim as hers was unsteady.

One of the scientists next to him asked "She's prized specimen. Is there others that are out in Manhattan?"

"Yeah. Most have chosen their own destiny, some have joined our team... And others have become deviant to our whole system. We tend to try and not bother with them but they keep coming back with more firepower."

"Like the Daughter of Death?" John paused; Lilith Kyle was his best Conduit ever made. He taught her everything about her power, how to use it and how to control it. He even gave her Compass, in which she killed and revived. They had a very close bond until her personality changed and interlocked itself with her abilities, and she couldn't trust him.

"Yes. Just like the Daughter of Death."

A BLACKWATCH officer jogged towards him, firearm in both hands, and said "Dr. Evergreen, we need you to come with us and we'll take you to BLACKWATCH. You'll be safe there."

_"What?_ What's going on?"

"Sorrow has infiltrated the building and she's looking for you."

"Lilith? Let her come to me."

"No, _sir,_ you need to come with me."

_"I said_ let her find me." The officer went all stiff and John stepped back in confusion, then he took off the helmet and revealed his sky blue eyes with a thick, black ring around the iris. Darkness slithered up his armour and he didn't attempt to rip it off, he just dropped his firearm and stood there. Waiting for a command.

"And I wished people would _actually_ listen," Lilith suggested as she appeared in a cloud of purple shadows, tracing her finger down the officer's arm while her gaze was locked on the scientist. The team around him suddenly threw their notes and pens in the air and took off, seconds later it was just John, Lilith and the officer, with Rosemary trapped on the other side. "Quite cool, huh? Every person I possess suddenly has blue eyes."

_"What-"_

"I have a question, Evergreen. What is Project: Blackout? Does it involve me? And all the other rebellious Conduits? I've been very naughty, haven't I?"

"Well... _Uh..._ It involves robots. Human-sized robots able to extinguish Conduits like you."

"Well, that backfired because I just destroyed every single robot you made. I made dear Gwen lie to your face... Yeah, there just nuts and bolts now, and I did it. Who's laughing now, _asshole?"_

"Actually, I am. Rosemary!"

"Rose, you really gonna try and tackle me? I could kill you with a touch if I was that bored."

"I didn't say I was gonna fight you," she spoke with a Canadian accent and she leapt forward, vanishing in mid-action and appearing next to her with lightning dancing on her skin. She looked at Lilith before moving her sight to John, "He broke me too... And he's gonna pay."

"Try your best, Primary Conduit." She saw him raise his palm and Rosemary started screaming, holding her head as she fell on her knees.

"Well, this is new." The tattoo lit up and Lilith reached for the shadows, whipping it towards John and he cried out, crashing into the called guards like skittles. She smiled venomously as she reached behind her, getting her scythes out and ran, jumping over one of them while lodging the blade in his back. She saw John take off and left him for last as she spun, slicing one's leg off and grinding through another's midsection in one constant move. She sprinted around the corner, hacking any frame in her path and when the corridor was clear, she pounced on the last GENTEK guard who was running beside John.

The guard whimpered under his helmet as she looked down at him, keeping her intimidating, penance stare. As soon as she freed her hands, his whimpers turned into tortured yells as she flooded his body with darkness, absorbing his life-force and stealing every memory he stored in his soul. Half-smiling, she stood up and started walking casually, following the trail John left with drops of his blood. And believe it or not, but it led her right to his office and she invited herself in, not realising that he'd be prepared for her arrival. He leapt with his katana and went for an attack but Lilith blocked it every time he did, not minding if the blade created incisions in her skin as it healed almost immediately. Timing it right, she slapped the blade away and landed fast, focused punches on his chest and swept her leg from under him and he found himself on the floor with his own weapon directed at his left eye. "I've taught you well, Leanna. _Too well."_

She glanced at the scientist with an astounded look on her face. "You're a Conduit... But how?"

"I always was a Conduit, I just kept quiet."

_"Make sense..._ Now, you're going to tell me what Project: Blackout _really is_ or this eye will not function anymore."

"Fine,_ look,_ Project: Blackout has four stages. The first one is to create Conduits to go in our team of troopers. The second stage is to induce them with the BLACKLIGHT Virus... I call them _Evolved Conduits."_

_"Ah..._ But weren't there Evolved before? Dr. Kyle told me there was."

"Yeah, but these ones are different. The ones before were virus-induced humans. These are genetically mutated humans with the virus."

"Next stage... And speak faster. I'm starting to lose my patience."

"The next stage is to deploy the Evolved Conduits all over Manhattan to look for 'rebellious' Consuits and the Lost Viruses."

_"Then?"_

"The last stage, which is the toughest of them all, is to get rid of them. Wipe them off the face of the Earth. Can I stand up now?"

_"No..._ Evolved Conduits? What has GENTEK gotten up to these days?"

"Let me show you." He pulled the katana out of her hand and jumped up, tackling her on the floor and digging his fingertips in her head. Images and muttering flooded her mind and she saw herself with another tattoo on her right arm burning with defiance as her scythes swayed by her side. She appeared older here, with toned shoulders and ripped arms, powerful legs and chiseled torso, and normal tattoos were etched on her abdomen and down her back. The streets were deserted here, with buildings scorching and choppers flying out, looking for the person responsible. _"If you don't change,"_ she heard a voice say within the vision. _"This will happen. You will destroy Manhattan with your almighty power. And they'll be nobody to bring life to the streets again. The people you were looking for were also killed in this vision, and you didn't care. All you cared about was getting your way, and that's what you did. Got your way."_

She found herself back in the office with the scientist stepping away from her and she almost laughed, getting on her feet. "I won't change who I am, but I'll change the people affecting how I am. Starting with you. You lied to me; you lied about my abilities, you lied about my parents, you lied about me. How could you?!"

"I didn't want to hurt you, Leanna."

_"My name is Lilith!"_

"Sorry, Lilith. I didn't want to hurt you and lying was the only way."

"The truth must've hurt so you thought lies would heal... I'm smarter than you think and I know my real parents are not dead. They're out there, waiting. Waiting for me to show my face."

_"But-"_

"You broke me! You destroyed who I was and for that, you're going to die but I'm not gonna cause it. Touch the door handle or the window with any part of your body and you die, it's that simple. I was supposed to save this town and take it out of sorrow, but I guess I'm the complete opposite." She forwarded him and he leaned back on the wall, clamping his eyes shut when she came near. He felt her cold hand touch his head and he let out a small squeal before sliding to the floor and didn't move. Another voice entered her mind but this time, she expected it and rolled her eyes. "Can I help you, Clara?"

_"How... How do you know it's me?"_

"This ain't the first time you've done this."

_"Oh... I saw what happened. You haven't killed him."_

"Didn't need to. I just read his soul and I have what I need. It seems like he's been creating Evolved Conduits and I have a feeling you might now about it. And plus, I already infused death in two vital objects."

_"I do. Come back here and I'll fill you in."_

"No problem. And Compass?"

_"Well, he's himself. His human self."_

"And you didn't freak out?"

_"At first, I screamed and ran out the room but he's actually good-looking."_

"Nice to know. I'm on my way and next time, call my phone."

_"But I don't have your number."_

"Ask Compass, he knows what I know." She headed for the door but stopped as arms coiled around her leg and sighed.

"Please, don't do this to me. I made you powerful, Lilith. You can't do this."

"An eye for an eye, Evergreen," she shook him off and laced shadows around her hand just before she gripped the handle. _"An eye for an eye."_


	5. Legion

_**Has been quite a while but it's progressing ever so slowly. Enjoy Reading! ;)**  
_

* * *

_Chapter Three: Legion_

Lilith, after taking out a team of BLACKWATCH troopers that attempted to chase her, invited herself in Clara's apartment and glared at the door briefly as the cloaking symbols shimmered at her. Just as she made it into the living room, red eyes stared deeply at her, waiting for her to actually step foot in the room so that they can say something. Guessing the former wasn't wrong: Compass really did shift to his human form. He looked as old as she is, having the traits of her appearance but more masculine.

He had an oval face and a fair complexion, with cheekbones that make him look statuesque and eyes just as red as Lilith's, framed with lashes any girl would envy. His jawline was weak but subtle, nose pointing out at the right moment and lips full and pink. His build was much more lean than robust, but the robust side was more noticeable on his torso and legs where his muscles poked on his clothing. He sat with his elbows up on the back of the sofa and with one ankle resting on the opposite knee and wore a black leather jacket with a purple top, black jeans stuffed into combat boots. His black hair was long and curly, with short sides and his tattoo was gracefully etched in a tribal matter, in contrast to Lilith's tattoo, and spread all along both his arms and upper chest.

"Have fun?" he asked with a voice so dangerously innocent like a silky mermaid's song. It scared Lilith the first time he actually talked, it sounded very close to Death's voice and Lilith never gets scared. He watched his master walk through the door frame and sit beside him, the tattoo that was also imitated onto his clothing pulsing purple.

"So much."

"Doesn't seem like it."

"I found some answers and killed a bunch of idiots. I had fun."

_"Clearly..."_

"Where's Clara?"

"She went to get the files on the Evolved Conduits. I have a feeling I already know what they are. Infected mutants, possessing a virus as well as a power."

"You know, for all the crap that occasionally comes out your mouth, I can't disagree with you there." The Welsh woman walked in with a folder in her hand, propping herself up on one of the chairs in front of the two and opened it, skim-reading it.

"Have fun?"

"Why doesn't anyone think I didn't have fun? _I. Had. Fun."_

"Alright, don't start shooting shadows everywhere. Compass had been very obedient when you were gone. He just sat there, waiting for you and engaging in a short conversation."

"He won't do much unless he has to. Leave him alone with an opponent, he's gonna fight. Leave him alone with a trusted ally, he's gonna act like he isn't there unless you assign him with something."

"Makes sense."

_"So,_ what are these Evolved Conduits? They sound a bit too melodramatic."

"Well, it says here that they're Conduits who have been in contact with a virus. All part of Project: Blackout, Stage 2."

"Anyone in specific? 'Cause I'm feeling a bit _set-up_ here."

"There's a number of people's name on this. Carly, Matt, Gwen, Ray-Leigh..." Blood drained from her face and she stood up in disbelief, snatching the folder from Clara's grasp and reading it herself.

"What a fucking bitch. Gwen. _Really?"_

"I'm confused..."

"Ray-Leigh was a close friend of Lilith's," Compass informed her, sitting forward and resting his forearms on his knees. "She acted like a normal Conduit and didn't show any signs of shape-shifting like an Infected."

"Why did she lie to me?"

"Not sure. Maybe, she didn't want you to hurt her. Let's be honest, anyone that angers you ends up dead. Look at John Evergreen, I bet he's dead now because he forgot about death lingering about his office."

"I try my hardest not to kill but people tend to piss me off and annoy to me to a certain extent, that the only way I can shut them up is by killing them... Clara, I didn't wanna comment but you don't seem like the outdoor person. _You know?_ Like you run away from danger."

"I'm not running away from things," she simply said, fair skin oscillating blue at her neck for a mere second. "I'm running to them, before they flare and fade forever."

"Doesn't look like it."

"Would a girl like me insist we visit Ray-Leigh?"

She sucked in air through her teeth, "You sure? Despite the fact that she's part virus, she does have mind-control powers. Telepathy, illusions, physic torture. You sure you can handle it?"

"If we're both physics and I'm older with more experience, who's gonna win?"

_"Good point."_ Clara flipped her hood up and stepped to the door, where Compass stood and winked at Lilith before letting himself pass and she rolled her eyes.

OoOoO

"Why does she have to live all the way in the Green Zone?" complained Compass as they walked through the streets of Lincoln Meadows, seeing how vibrant the world appeared through human eyes.

"Why is everyone running away from us?" Clara asked as she monitored civilians stop whatever they're doing and run off.

"Not us," Lilith noted. _"Me._ They know who I am. They know what I can do. I don't blame them. Compass, stop complaining. You could've been a bird again but _no,_ someone wanted to walk."

"Well, _yeah,_ but I didn't know it'd be this far."

"Now you know."

"We're here," Clara interrupted them, stepping to the apartment building door and pressed her shoulder on it, trying to budge it open but failed. She sighed and gestured to the thick, metal rectangle, "Wanna do the honours?"

The twosome exchanged glances and shrugged, taking a step before pivoting in opposite directions and booting the door off it's hinges. It made a smacking noise as it travelled through the corridor and bounced off the walls and as soon as Compass let himself in the building, his invisible tattoo lit up purple and his eyes dilated. "Someone died in here," he confirmed, moving out of the way and Lilith established her environment, feeling that cooling sensation of death wash over her.

"Not just someone, a whole building's worth. That must be at least 20."

"I saw what happened," the clairvoyant whispered as her eyes zigzagged along the walls as if she's reading it.

"What happened?"

"Nobody would've thought Ray-Leigh would become so... _Violent._ She was a nice girl, but her niceness was a flaw to her so she changed and ended up killing the residents of this building. I had a dream about it... I guess my mind wasn't playing tricks after all."

"She wasn't hesitant about it either," Lilith groaned in detestation when she discovered a decaying corpse in the elevator. Shadows spiralled around it's frame and gently pulled it out and Clara's hand came up to cover her nose.

"It smells."

"Smells like old death to me. When you know death, you can't smell the rotting of the flesh. Thankfully, I don't wanna."

_"Wait,_ what _are_ you doing?"

"Resurrecting it for a minute. I need to know the truth." Her palm became parallel to the ground and her eyes closed, Compass examining with learning eyes as the corpse started moving its skeletal self, pressing its bony hands onto the floor before it stood up. The only person really keeping it upright was Lilith, who looked like she was gracefully pulling air strings.

"Please," it said in a raspy voice. "Get me out of here. Please, take me out. I want to be buried."

"I need to know who did this to you."

"The blonde woman on the top floor."

"How did she kill you?"

"I'm not sure. All she said was 'pain' and my back started breaking and my mind went blank."

"That's how you died. Too much interference with the nerves may cause paralysis. Maybe death, which unfortunately happened to you, right?"

"Yeah."

"Happen to know the woman's name?"

"I hear it everywhere... Ray-Leigh Bleu."

"Were you still conscious after that?"

"Barely... With my last seconds, I watched her move from room to room with three of her, causing more trouble."

"Illusions. Have a name?"

"Joey Price."

"Joey, you became a victim of physic torture. You've kindly asked to be buried, I'll do that. Compass, would you?" He nodded and took over manipulating his frame, slender fingers tapping the air in time as he led Joey out of the building and Clara crossed her arms when Lilith turned her head to look back at her.

"I didn't know you can do that."

"I can do a lot of things that surrounds death. Reanimation and resurrection is just two of the many things I can do."

"Huh." She pressed the call button and the elevator doors opened by command, the two girls walking in and hitting the top button. "What about Compass?" she suddenly realised as they passed the fourth floor.

"He'll be fine. If he can survive being injected with a death-inducing drug, then I'm sure he could make it up here on his own. After all, he does shape-shift."

"Figures." Lilith faked a smile before rolling her eyes and whispering overtook her mind, making her hiss and wheeze in pain.

_"Did you really think you could just waltz up here? Please, Lilith, I thought you were smarter than that."_

"Ray-Leigh, I guess you know why I'm here."

_"Yeah, I heard your thoughts from a mile away. Try your best to get to me. You must feel the _pain,_ right?"_ The word 'pain' caused literate damage to Lilith: she screamed as her nerves started going haywire, her back bending backwards and Clara screamed with her, her instincts kicking in and trying to find the person within her mind. When her tattoo glowed blue, she ejected a psi-bolt and Lilith panted, falling back but restored her balance and held her head.

"Thanks... Never knew you could do that."

"I am a telepathic as well. Anything she can do, I can do better."

_"Really?"_ Lilith dropped out of the elevator as soon as the doors opened to the 15th floor and she struggled to crawl to her feet, the psychic affliction shooting through her again but she felt something else try and take over. _"What happens when you shut down the higher part of Lilith's brain? She falls unconscious."_

The former dropped on her side and Clara rushed to her side, shaking her shoulder and trying to wake her. "It's no use, _Clara,"_ Ray-Leigh Bleu said, emerging from the shadows and hovering over her. She had a heart-shaped face with wide cheekbones and black eyes, giving the impression of no feeling. Her fair skin was covered in symbols that Clara could recognise, lips plump and small with a button nose. Her blonde hair was in tight curls and her figure was of an athletic build, muscles firm and toned. She wore a grey playsuit which has been zipped down to show her cleavage, a red jacket and black boots. "She stays like that until she regains consciousness or until I'm dead. And I doubt someone like you could try anyway."

"Who says I need to try?" Compass felt his master's being and teleported beside the telepathic, growling in anger and revenge. He looked at Lilith, then Clara, then Ray-Leigh and started screaming, collapsing to his knees and Clara watched in horror as the veins in his face started popping up under his skin. Calming herself down, Clara released a mental shield that encased his mind in an invisible bubble and he caught his breath, falling forward.

"You just don't give up, do you?"

"Well, I don't want to." Clara got to her feet and kept her distance with Ray-Leigh, noting where the walls have been torn apart and spotting concealed bodies on the ceiling. There was a stronger growl and Ray-Leigh spun around, being forced to the ground by this black-furred wolf as it reached for her face with it's jaws. She struggled but found purchase, coiling her arms around it's frame and she squeezed hard, feeling bones snap and it howled in agony as she pushed it away from her. _"Compass..."_

"How pathetic," she commented, standing up and dusting her clothes off. "A wolf? Really?"

"That's it, I'd had enough!" Clara flexed her wrists, blades shooting out of her sleeves and the girl stared in wonderment before bursting out with laughter.

"And today can't get better than this..."

"You can do a lot with blades... _Trust me."_

"Walkers... Do my bidding." The cocoons started cracking and she braced herself, not realising that Lilith was regaining consciousness. She tried hard to push herself off the floor, only getting as far as sitting on her feet and she gritted her teeth.

_"No...! Compass... Clara...!"_

"About time you woke up." She wanted to move when Ray-Leigh came running towards her but it was no use, and the girl kicked her hard, causing her barrel-rolling in mid-air and landing flat on her back. Being picked up by the collar of her jacket, she squirmed a bit before finding herself bouncing painfully off the far wall, peering at Clara who was easily taking down the Walkers.

"Why?" Lilith whispered and she shrugged, red and black tentacles whipping out from her skin and latching onto her ankle. "You were never like this, Ray-Leigh." By now, she was hanging upside-down with her eyes level with her old friend's and her arms crossed. "Why change yourself?"

"You changed-"

"I didn't want to. I wanted to save Manhattan but I ended up being the complete opposite." Manipulating the blood and forcing it through her body, she inhaled and moved at lightning speed, striking rock-hard punches at Ray-Leigh's abdomen before chopping at her throat and blasting her back with a wall of darkness. "You're an Evolved Conduit, huh? Well, this calls for a game of cat and mouse... Clara!"

A gush of wind and sand hit both their faces and the Daughter of Death grinned, finding herself in a battle arena with thousands chanting their name with her opponent feet away. "Very neat. What else you gonna do?"

"It's just me and you in this world. You either win or lose, it's as simple as that."

"Fine," her arm changed to a fury of snakes before shifting to her blade and she swiped the air in style before bringing it behind her. "Bring it."

Lilith shuffled closer to the Conduit, tilting her head as her scythes appeared in her hands and watched the glyphs on the blades and rods flash white. She was the first to move; she darted towards her and landed a series of powerful but fast swipes, constantly catching her across the torso. Ray-Leigh stomped her feet and ground spikes erupted from the ground, impaling her at her midsection and she fell on her knees, letting out a silent scream of discomfort. Looking up just in time, she deviated from her Tendril Barrage Devastator, barely able to damage her as her blades were able to either block or cut in half. She nodded slightly and three ghastly duplicates of herself pulled themselves out of the ground and ran to her at full speed, attacking like mad.

Ray-Leigh became distracted trying to bat away the figures and Lilith made her two scythes one and dashed it, having it hack skin multiple times before flying back to her possession. "Brawlers!" she heard her shout and Lilith glared around as four humanoid-like beasts materialised in front of her. Closing her eyes, she searched for their souls within and pulled, a red crumpled sphere dancing on her body and the Brawlers were trapped in her death-bubble as their life-force was stolen from them.

"You gotta try harder than that, Ray-Leigh." A sharp pain shot through her head and she hissed, not letting it get the best of her as she started sprinting but another one, much more heavier than the last made her stop. _"What..._ What are you doing...?"

"Bringing out the good side."

"There is no good side. There's just me... _And her."_ She let out a tortured yell before purple smoke accumulated off her clothes and Ray-Leigh stared in fear as what stepped out definitely wasn't Lilith.

There was two figures; one had a head full of purple hair with occasional black streaks, eyes still a fierce crimson but a scar stretched from her right eyebrow to her cheek. Her clothes consisted of a black bowler's hat, black blazer with a purple shirt, black short shorts with suspenders that attached to her fishnet socks, and her original combat boots that emitted black smoke with every step.

The other one also had purple hair and red eyes, but the scar looked much more drastic and untreatable. She wore a black hooded cape that cut off as soon as it reached her shoulders, an armoured one-piece that was corset-like and included trousers with straps and ankle boots. Both of them held a scythe each and Ray-Leigh blinked, thinking that is was Clara making her hallucinate until she saw a statue of Lilith behind the two, holding both her scythes and standing in a heroic stance.

_"I am Legion..."_

The hooded Lilith held out a fist that coursed with blue souls as they reached out and screamed of torment, a spine-chilling smile engraved in her face. _"For we are many."_

They blurred from her sight but Ray-Leigh was able to follow their moves and leapt into the air, biomass throbbing for ultimate destruction as she barely missed their overpowered scythes. Landing back on hard terrain, her clothes transformed into hard, durable plates of armour and the hatted Lilith hummed in expectancy, "Seems like she traded speed for strength."

"That was a bad mistake, Ray-Leigh. This was a bad mistake. You shouldn't have awakened me and now look, you're even afraid to make a move. I can just take your life just like that but that would just... Kill the fun."

_"Pain."_ Ray-Leigh gritted her teeth as she dropped on her knees and the armour shifted out of sight, bending over and digging her nails into the ground. "See," the hatted Lilith informed her, tugging hard on the blonde's hair. "You'd never thought you'd get a taste of your own medicine, did you?"

_"I'm... Only following... Orders..."_

"What orders?"

"GENTEK. They... Told every Evolved... Conduit to kill you... On sight..."

"Why?"

"Leanna's dead... Isn't she...?"

"Don't talk about her to me. I know who she is but I don't wanna bring her up again."

"But Leanna is Lilith..."

"And you are dead."

_"NO!_ Please don't kill me!"

"Why does everyone say that when I'm about to kill them? It just ruins _everything."_

"I can give you details for the rest of the Evolved Conduits; just let me live. Please? We're close buddies, aren't we Lilith?"

"Okay, just to clarify, I'm not Lilith. I'm Aeron and she's Eris."

_"Hi."_ Ray-Leigh gazed at Eris, the one who looked like a sensual magician, then Aeron then back at Eris again.

"Close buddies? Huh, not even near. First of all, you lie to me about not being Infected and now you're begging for my trust back? You can't beg or buy trust, it needs to be earned and you don't have that kind of time. I'm sorry."

"Actually," Eris said, making the blonde girl divert her attention. "No, I'm not sorry. I'm not sorry at all. Goodnight, Bleu." Metallic gloves held back her hair and she grinned devilishly before placing her palm on her face and drank in her screams as she sucked in her soul with a touch. The two halves of Lilith's soul vanished and the statue was broken, the former somersaulting out of it and glaring at her ex-friend with hateful eyes. Already mastering her power of telepathy, harsh winds raked at the hardened sand and the chanting grew quieter with every second. She finally turned around and saw undead corpses scattered on the floor and Clara panting, Compass still on the floor and she ran towards him, flicking his curly hair back.

"How is he?" The clairvoyant questioned, relaxing her wrists and hearing that scratching noise.

"He's dead."

_"What?!"_

"His ribs caved in, causing the bones to pierce his heart and lungs. Ray-Leigh was too strong for him, he's still an amateur even after all these years."

"Should I call an ambulance?"

_"No..._ I'll save him."

"Then can we speed this up? BLACKWATCH are coming."

"How do you know?"

"There was a hidden heart monitor on Ray-Leigh. As soon as one E.C goes down, troopers move to the site and in this case, it's here."

"And I didn't spot that?"

"Nope."

_"Huh."_ Lilith cupped his head and put him in the sitting position, tilting his head to the side.

_"Are you actually gonna bite him?!"_ Clara exclaimed, reading the loudest thought in Lilith's head.

"No... I'm saving him." She touched his chest and disturbing cracking sounds ruptured from his body, his index finger twitching at every click. Moving to his shoulder blades, she tapped the symbol engraved in his skin and felt his heart beating again. Smiling in victory but suddenly feeling weak, she picked him up like a baby and Clara gripped her arm, receiving a raised eyebrow. "What now?"

"They're here."

"Oh God..." The elevator doors were booted open and Clara swore, the team of troopers already raining fire but Lilith turned away, and a shield of coloured shadows reflected the bullets like rays of light.

"Red Crown, I have visual on target 2511 and 0020. _I repeat,_ I have visual on Sorrow and Indigo with an unknown subject, over."

"Delta Squad, this is Red Crown. Your mission has changed: subdue unknown subject and bring them in for further analysis, over."

"Affirmative."

"Bastards tryna take my Compass," Lilith muttered as she sent a bladed whip of darkness to the crowd, either barely slicing their armour or hacking them to bits. "We need to get outta here!"

"I'm working on it!" Clara shouted as she stretched her palms out and the closest trooper abruptly passed out on the floor, his co-workers gazing down at him.

_"Don't say a word..."_ Lilith heard her say as her eyes closed and one of the group jumped, directing the nuzzle of his assault rifle towards the threesome. Purple eyes glared at the faint smoke in the air, knowing that it was keeping them away from the armed men.

"Where the fuck did they go?! I swear they were there!"

"Time to go, Clara," Lilith thought, touching her shoulder and dissipating in a cloud of darkness.


	6. Broken Past

_Chapter Four: Broken Past_

The smoke faded and Clara panted in relief as comfort of being in her own territory washed over her, sliding the hood off her head while Lilith placed Compass on the sofa. _"Whoa,"_ she said but stopped when the ebony-haired girl just turned back and stared at her, tilting her head.

"I can't put him on the floor and you wouldn't let me put him on your bed, not even for a second." She moved away from her companion and towards the window, crossing her arms as she watched a little girl on the shoulders of her father, the clairvoyant sensing a new feeling radiating from her. "I've always wanted to... Live a _normal_ life."

"Nobody's stopping you. Just go out there and start being human."

"Oh, I wish is was that simple, Clara. Ever since I was a little girl, I was nothing but controlled trouble. Like a waiting rocket ready to be launched. Or a dog ready to be let off its leash. I was naturally evil. Still good, but naturally evil. No matter how long I do good, I end up fucking it up. Completely."

"How?"

"One day, I helped a fellow Conduit from being killed by another... I don't need to finish it off."

"But it wasn't your fault-"

"Everything's my fault! Becoming Lilith was _my_ fault. My surrogate mother being buried _alive_ was _my_ fault... For once, I wish I could kill myself."

"Hold it right there. You were _always_ good, Lilith. Just because your power is basically demonic _and stuff,_ doesn't mean you can't overcome the bad."

"But I was meant to be good. The Lilith then showed that."

"The Lilith _then?"_

"Yeah. How I was before I died for the first time. Every year, I'd have this one hour session with a machine, forcing pure Ray Field energy through my veins. It felt like being chopped up, put in a grinder and being rebuilt all over again just to go through the same process."

"You don't think I didn't go through that?"

"Back then, it was easier. You guys were given something called Blast Cores; Ray Field energy compressed into some sort of compartment. You just pulled in the energy, I was injected with three inch needles all over my arms. I remember my last session, it was probably one of my best days..."

* * *

She rolled off the table just as the machinery exploded, hitting the floor painfully and slipping into a mini-coma before a group of doctors were rushed to her aid. They checked her pulse, her respiration levels, blood pressure and cleaned her up of the blood dripping from the little punctures in her arms. When they were satisfied with what they done, they placed her back on the table and left except a woman. Mid-thirties and beautiful with her black hair resting off her shoulder, hazel eyes gazing behind clear contacts and name-tag reading _'Dr. Kimberly L. Kyle'_ clipped onto her lab coat. "Lilith..." she whispered, stroking the girl's hair and it was only a matter of time before her eyes fluttered.

Letting out a soft groan, she grasped the woman's arm and helped herself up. "How you feeling, honey?" Dr. Kyle asked, cupping her face and getting a weak smile in return.

"Not any better," Lilith whined as she rubbed her arms. "It's getting harder to handle every time... Thank God this is the last time I'm doing that. _Ever."_

"I know but you just have to deal with the consequences."

"I know, mum. They said I'll be able to leave when I'm 18... I've turned 18 a couple days ago."

"You'll leave sooner than you'll realise, Lilith. They needed you to stay for longer because they've got a surprise for you. And I think you'll be pretty happy about it."

Her crimson eyes lit up with excitement as she squealed, "What is it?"

"There's two actually; a new change of clothes and a little something. Well, actually, it's not little at all but you get the point."

_"Yeah..._ When can I get it?"

"Soon. They'll call you."

"_'They'_ being?"

"Dr. Christian C. Stewart and Dr. Lucy R. Bleu."

She gasped, "Don't tell me it's that hot doctor with the blonde hair and golden eyes!"

"That's the one."

"Oh, _why do you do this to me, mum?!_" She slid off the table and walked out of the facility and into the corridors of GENTEK, a group of black-clad troopers brushing past her and Lilith couldn't help but stop and look back. "Why are _they_ here?"

"I'm not sure but I think it's for something important."

"Then they're wasting their time wandering around, looking like idiots." One of them turned back and stared at her with his night-vision goggles and she raised a brow before continuing to venture through the building. "Can't believe I'm gonna be leaving... But I don't want to leave."

"Hold on," her mother said, stepping in her path and grasping her shoulders. _"Hold on._ First, you say you want to get out and now you say you don't. What's up?"

"I'm not sure... I mean, I want to leave but I don't want to leave you. Dr. Kimberly Kyle, head researcher of genotyping and a biologist... _Or something._ My mother has a job at GENTEK... Just getting in here is hard enough. I don't want to leave someone who's been there for me all my life and has struggled to get to the top, I really don't."

"Aww, come here." Kimberly opened her arms in a hug and her daughter accepted the invitation warmly, sighing softly. "You may be a young adult but you'll still be my little girl. You can stay here as long as you want, nobody's gonna force you to leave. You understand?"

"Yes, I understand."

"That's my girl. Dr. Christian will call you down when he's ready. Chase wanted you, he's round the back. Maybe, he wants to... You know..."

"Oh, _stop it,_ mum!"

"What? I think you two suit like cookies and cream."

"There she goes with her poetic mind of her's..."

_"It's true..._ Now, go on." She smiled broadly at her mother before jogging out the doors of GENTEK and walking round the back, where they renovated the empty space and made it useful for people like her.

Chase was sitting on a bench, blonde hair spiked up naturally at the front and hands interlaced behind his head, and just as she emerged from the shadows, a black bird landed on her shoulder and cooed. Lilith laughed, "What, Compass? Miss me?"

He cooed again, rubbing her cheek with the top of his head and she said "I missed you too... And, yeah, I'm fine. Just a bit edgy, that's all." She held out her arm and it adjusted his position on her body, perching on her wrist and it tilted his head, red eyes glaring into his owner's.

"That's right," she said, sounding crazy to the people around her, who gave her looks of concern. "We're gonna be leaving this place soon. Don't worry," she stroked his cheek with the back of her index and he leaned into her touch. "We'll still have each other, I promise. Now, if you excuse me, I'm gonna go talk to Chase... What? So what if he's funny and kind... And hot..."

The bird whistled and she hushed it, hovering a hand over it's beak. "Don't you dare, Compass! So what if I have a crush on him, it doesn't affect you... In a way. Now, fly around and enjoy every second you have in here. We might leave sooner than we think." The bird cooed once more before going into flight, it's black, graceful wings elevating him with every press of the air. Gazing back at Chase, who made the light blue attire that everyone's wearing much cooler and taking in a breath, she found the courage to sit next to him.

When she did, his eyes widened in surprise, the sand warping back into his arm. "Chase Stewart," she said, noticing that little glint of light in his eyes. "What are you doing out here by yourself?"

"I needed a breather," he spoke with a mix of Irish and American to his accent. "The whole Ray Field crap is finally over for me. No more upgrading my powers... I'm finally powerful."

_"Wow,"_ she mocked him, shaking her hands and imitating his voice. "I'm finally powerful at manipulating sand. _That's so cool..."_

_"Shut up!"_ He nudged her arm and she laughed. "What about you, huh? You've never told me what your power is."

"You might take me as a goth."

_"Depends._ Maybe this is the right time to-"

"Okay, _okay._ Don't push me... I've got the abilities of the Grim Reaper."

His jaw dropped, "Lilith, please tell me you're joking."

"I'm telling you the truth, Chase. My power mostly evolves around the dead and I think it's a pretty handy power."

"How?"

"Well, I know when people are gonna die. I can summon spirits to help me. I can communicate with the dead."

"That is a handy power to have... When am I gonna die?" She cocked her brow at him, surprised by the sudden change in subject. _"What?_ Only asking." Sighing and shaking her head with a smirk on her face, she turned her body to him and glared into his honey eyes, face turning into a grimace. "What? What's wrong?"

_"Well..._ It doesn't say so I'm guessing not any day now."

"Oh," he let out a breath of relief. "You nearly had me worried there."

"And plus, if you were gonna die, I'd be there to save you."

"Wow, that's... That's really thoughtful of you."

"Anything of a bag of sand..."

_"Hey!_ I'm still the Chase Stewart you knew when he couldn't move a grain of sand for shit."

"Yeah, you know when you tried to move that grain of sand... Phoebe over here prevented you."

_"She did?"_

"No, I just wanted you to get mad."

"And why would you do that?"

"It's cute when boys get mad."

"Thanks a bunch."

"Anything for Sir. Stewart." She heard a squawk and lifted her sight upwards, watching Compass soar in circles and she sighed. "Chase, can I... Tell you something?"

"Yeah, Lilith. What's up?"

"Well... I said when I'm 18, I can leave and now that I am 18... I'm gonna be leaving."

"I don't believe that."

"You've gotta trust me on this. You can even ask Compass."

"I would. If I was able to talk to him like you. Why are you leaving?"

"I've never seen the outside world. Maybe, just maybe, out there is my ticket to paradise."

"So, that's it then?"

"What's it?"

"You're just gonna leave? No questions asked?"

"I guess so."

"You can't go." Her head snapped to the right, glaring at Chase who had leaned forward.

"What do you mean I can't go?"

"You're gonna be missed..."

"By who?"

"By your mum, my dad, Ray-Leigh and the gang... _Me."_ She froze in his eyes as she bit her lip, waiting for the moment to unfold.

"You're... Gonna miss me, Chase?"

"Of course I am! You're the only person I know who I've known for 9 years. 9 is a pretty big fucking number and when you were smaller... My God, can't believe you've finally controlled the matter of speech."

"Yeah, I was told I was a chatty 9-year-old... I'm gonna miss you too." Sand suddenly vitiated and swerved around her and just as she looked up, her lips were met with soft others. First, she was surprised and her forehead wrinkled and eyes shot wide open but quickly relaxed, melting in Chase's arms as the sand shielding her instantly felt like wearing thermals. It was magic, the way his lips felt like silk against hers, his eyes half-lidden in desire, his lips tasting like strawberry chapstick. Her heart was racing faster than she expected and somehow, it all came crashing down on her and realised something that she couldn't understand. She was _in love_ with Chase Stewart. She couldn't be; he was an annoying 20-year-old guy who used to throw sand in her hair.

The kiss suddenly went passionate, to the point where she heard a little sigh exit his mouth and she instead gasped, getting the scent of his cologne in her lungs and dove in for more. She chewed on his lip and he smiled in the kiss, teeth clacking together softly and her hand having a handful of his hair. Their lips smacked a couple more times before she breathed in and leaned on his shoulder, just wanting to stay in his arms forever, never letting go. Well, that was extreme for a first kiss. There was three words that escaped his mouth, three words she picked up and those three words changed the situation completely. "I love you."

She grinned, tracing his shoulder blade with a fingertip. "I love you too. Who'd ever thought I'd fall in love with a guy who was such a pain in the ass?"

"Wow, Lilith," he said dully. "I'm so touched."

_"I know..."_

* * *

"Hold on, hold on, hold on... You fell in love with Chase?" Clara questioned her, unable to take in what she just heard.

The former nodded briefly, "Back then, I knew how to express my feelings at the right time. We were best friends, Clara, conquering the world one step at a time. Until he betrayed me."

"What happened?"

"We got caught, I was held hostage and he had a choice. Either to side with BLACKWATCH and leave me or kill me and walk free. He chose to side with those idiots... I don't blame him though."

"So how did you die?"

"A couple weeks later with a bullet to the head." Lilith saw her pained reaction and her short laugh came out cold and sinister. "It was painful at first but then I knew that my mind had been unlocked to more than I could handle. A power so great, I was able to revive myself. From a bullet to the head. It was 2 9mm rounds, too. That's when Leanna suddenly disappeared and the real Lilith emerged, taking control and becoming how I should be. The Daughter of Death."

"You're invincible then?"

_"Meh."_

"Interesting. Did you find anything in Ray-Leigh's memories?"

"Yeah, there's three Evolved Conduits she knew: Jonno, Emma Celeste and Zara. All three are living within the Green Zone but they seem to be hiding a Blast Core."

"A Blast Core, huh? If you're already an active Conduit, it should enhance your abilities. Like someone who could control water... If they were to get their hands on it, they might be able to... Freeze it. Or form it into weapons and tools to help them."

"Wow, you know more than I do."

"Lucky guess."

"I'm guessing they're hiding that from me. I'm already a powerhouse so what's to hide?"

"They're hiding it for your safety."

"My safety? I don't need their safety."

"You sure? I've just been giving news that the Lost Viruses are coming back and there's nothing you can do to stop it."

"Oh yeah? I _dare 'em_ to try me."

"Lilith, _please,_ calm down. If you wanna stay alive, we gotta start small."

"How small?"

"Project: Blackout small. Then we go off-the-scale huge. Like destroy BLACKWATCH and GENTEK _huge."_

"You holding a grudge, too?"

"All of us are."

"And I thought I was the only one..."

"Hey guys?" The two turned to glare at Compass, who rolled off the sofa and Lilith shrugged casually. "What's going on? Where's Ray-Leigh... _Oh._ Damn, I died? Really?"

"Fortunately, yeah... Just wait for my thoughts to sink in, Compass. Then you'll know."

"You told her one of your best days."

Clara pointed weakly at the shape-shifter while her attention was back at Lilith, "How is he doing that?"

_"Mind link."_

"I thought so. I'm able to only get into one of your heads at a time. Usually, I could get in every single mind within my sight but yours... It's like it's locked with a series of codes I can't crack." She moved away from her and picked up the glass ball that, _amazingly,_ hasn't broken yet. Compass stood and gazed at it hard, pushing his own thoughts into his leader's mind.

"So, that's how you sensed us," she said, watching it fade from clear to a blue hue and Clara breathed as she sat down on the sofa, her tattoo also responding. "You used that... To find us. Why?"

"You need me, Leanna," Clara said, her Welsh accent gone and speech more controlled and slow. "Whether you like it or not."

"Your voice... What's up with it?"

Her eyes opened, revealing the full blacks of both and grinned, "The Daughter of Death. Hmph. I'd thought you'd be more scarier and more... Like the Reaper."

"Well, as you can see Shay, _nobody's perfect."_

She chuckled, tossing the ball with one hand and catching it with the other. "So many feelings, thoughts and decisions... Yet, darkness clouds all."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Compass asked this time, crossing his arms.

"Find the truth, you get your wish. Destroy Manhattan."


	7. Ash

**A/N: This chapter is set in the past, about 3 months before the present chapters. There are several references in here to other books/movies, see if you can find them.**

* * *

_Chapter 5: Ash_

Clara lurked in the shadows of the alley, waiting for her target. She had been assigned to kill Emelie Baylea, a girl of 19. In a few days, Emelie was to become a GENTEK test subject. She was going to become an Conduit, with Elemental powers similar to that of Anwen Harper. They didn't exactly know how Anwen's powers work, as she only lived in Manhattan for three months that she was disguised as a scientist, then with the Lost Evolved until she disappeared off the Earth on the night of the Blast. GENTEK's Elemental experiments always failed, but they seemed to had found the way. The assassin also assumed GENTEK were trying to get a better lead on another growing science company, Oscorp, who were experimenting with cross-species genetics. Clara's employers said if the experiment worked, Emelie would be an extreme threat, and she was to be killed before the experiment.

The moonlight filtering into the alley shifted, and Clara tensed, ready to move. A girl with fair hair moved towards Clara. The assassin, waited until she was closer, then she striked. Reaching out, she grabbed a hold of Emelie's arm, twisting it so she was forced onto her knees. The girl cried out. Clara wasted no time putting her hand on the girl's chest, the hidden blade piercing her heart. Emelie's scream came out as a mere breath, then her body crumpled and she collapsed. Clara quickly scanned Emelie's last memories, obscuring the assassin's face. If GENTEK got a hold of Emelie, her memories would show a blurred figure killing her by touching her chest. She smiled briefly, then moved Emelie's body into a corner, behind a dumpster. "Target assassinated." She said into the microphone piece attached to her ear.

_"Excellent. Report to the Red Zone immediately for your payment."_ The male voice of her employer's assistant responded to her.

_"The Red Zone?!"_

_"Miss Sheathes, as you know, there is harm no more in the Red Zone. BLACKWATCH no longer patrol the RZ often, and there has been no sign of Mercer, Miles, or Heller in 20 years. You know that."_

She sighed. "I know. I'll be there as soon as possible."

The connection ceased, and Clara turned to leave the alley. She heard something rustling.

"Who's there?" She called out. She hated sounding so pathetic and weak.

A teenage girl emerged from the darkness. She appeared to be between the ages of 14 and 16. She was quite tall, but terribly skinny, looking very anorexic. Her skin was a dull greyish white colour. Long shiny blue-black hair tumbled down to about her thighs, obscuring Clara's view of her face. Her lips were cherry red and her eyes were a bright amber colour that glowed in the night. She wore a black tank top over a translucent white off-shoulder shirt with illegible black writing on it. She also wore black leggings, and no shoes.

"It's okay. I will not hurt you." Her voice was wispy and delicate, like a mix of a young girl and what Clara imagined to be a siren. "My name is Tesseract."

"Rozalina Haloway."

"I know that's not real."

Clara exhaled, not noticing she was holding her breath. "You're good. My real name is Clara Sheathes."

Tesseract was silent. "Your chosen name. It will do. You do not trust anymore with your given name anymore, since it brings too much pain. I understand."

Clara was slightly confused by the girl. "Mind reader?"

She smiled. "I have many more secrets, Clara. Come. My master wishes to see you."

"Alright, then."

Tesseract smiled, then turned and walked off, Clara following her.

OoOoO

The building Tesseract led Clara to was a dipiladated old apartment building in the Red Zone. Clara had wandered off earlier to collect her payment, and returned to find Tesseract waiting in the exact same place, not showing any emotion about it. They scaled the stairs to the top of the building to find the penthouse, the only room left untouched by the BLACKLIGHT virus. Tesseract entered the apartment with Clara, entering a living room/kitchen/dining area. The living room's back wall was all windows, peering out over the ruined Red Zone. There was a man about 21 standing at the window. When he turned around, his brown hair and hazel eyes were shockingly familiar to Clara, yet she didn't know why.

"Hello, Miss Sheathes. Tesseract, you may leave us now." The wiry girl nodded, and disappeared into another room.

"Please sit." He said, gesturing to the armchair. Clara felt awkward, but sat anyways. "My name is Caleb Herondale. I need your help finding someone. I know you're a clairvoyant."

Clara nodded. _"First,_ I want to know. What is Tesseract, and what are her powers?"

"Tesseract, _hm?_ She is my helper, but I know you didn't mean that. Tesseract is a Nephilim, the child of man and angel."

"Shadowhunter?"

_"Hmm?_ Oh, no. She was never trained as one. I doubt the New York Institute would even accept her in her state."

"Are you a Downworlder?"

"No. I don't really like them either. And no, the mundanes nor the Conduits nor the Evolved know about the Shadowhunters, the Downworlders, or anything else."

"Good. That's how it shall remain. And those with the Sight?"

"It's none of our concern. We don't disturb those supernatural creatures, and they don't disturb us Half-Lives."

"Anyways, about this missing person. Do you have anything of theirs?"

Caleb reached into his pocket and removed a silver locket, which he then passed to Clara. She felt it, then opened the locket. Inside was a simple inked drawing of a boy. A boy who was similar to Caleb. She closed it and turned it over to read the engraving on the back. It said three simple words: _I love you._ Clara froze, so still, the locket slipped out of her hand.

"You know, I'm surprised you haven't figured out who I really am yet, Caleb." Clara said, smiling. It was funny. Clara was smiling but she was close to tears. He seemed confused.

He peered at her face closer, and a light entered his eyes. _"Bek?_ I-It's been a while."

"Eight years, to be exact. You still love her, don't you? Valkyrie?"

"I presumed you didn't know, but I commited suicide a day after the crash. Because of Valkyrie. I didn't want to be without her."

"But you became a Half-Life. And so did she."

Caleb's face lit up. _"S-She's alive?!_ I had a feeling she survived the crash."

"Except one thing. And I really did not want to tell you this, Ash. Valkyrie became Anwen Harper."

His face drained of colour. "Valkyrie was Anwen? The girl who saved Manhattan? The girl who worked with the Lost Evolved?" The only thing Clara could do was nod.

Ash buried his head in his hands. Clara walked over to him. "Ash. She doesn't know you're still alive. She's cut herself off from the rest of the universe. I can't talk to her. No-one can. But I have never doubted your love for each other. I have a feeling. The only person Val would give her life for is her sister and the boy she loved her entire life. You and me. Rebecca Connors and Ash Morrison. We can bring her back. Half-Life souls are immortal, _right?_ Val never knew it. But we can do it. You, Tesseract, and I. But we're going to need from some people. People who knew Anwen."

Ash looked up at Clara. "You don't mean..."

"Exactly what I mean. Alex Mercer, Jessica Miles, and James Heller are coming back to Manhattan."

* * *

**A/N: This is much longer then my usual chapter. By the way, this is a collab between me (CardiffRift) and Cay. If you could find the references, tell me in your review, and I'll tell you what they were in the next chapter I write.**


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